Sunday, March 25, 2012

The often looked at view of Freedom of Religion deals with imposition of religion by the government and a limiting of government’s ability to impose religion. We see this clearly in the “separation of church and state” debate and rulings. The government cannot pick and impose. This has massive support even among religious groups who were, of course, a part of its source.

The question to think about is whether this imposes a denial of religion and its values on government. If denial of anything based on the faiths is a driving force and goal to the country, what else might have to be lost?

The current focus of such can show the implications of this. Rick Santorum is clearly the most religiously focused of the candidates. If one listens to the left the ridicule is immense. Check Jay Leno along. Leno would have been fined an arrested for just the public mention of the topics of his jokes about Santorum in the 1950s. NBC would have faced loss of licenses, stations would have dropped the show, and Leno might have been forced to leave television. Now it is just show biz and acceptable. For Santorum, as was true of John Kennedy, the question of the day is whether these values will be a part of his judgment and decision-making as president.

If values of decency, self-respect, self-control, support for life, and decency are to left at the gate to the White House, what is left for one to take in? If these values of decency and concern are to be ignored and left out of public debate—meaning that one’s beliefs have no place in public government and debate—what of the other values brought to society by religion? If these are not proper for public debate and policy, what else remains?

1. Helping the poor is a clear message of the Christina Church. It is also a clear sentiment of the Islamic faith given its place as one of the Five Pillars of the faith. Islam takes it a step further by requiring it for salivation. If religious values are to be denied, then can this remain as a public focus. Its history and source are religion. Under current public doctrines, it cannot be a value the government subscribes to. It is religiously based.

2. The Bible is clear that one should not kill. If one follows the liberal practice of taking things to the extreme, then this is a religious value that cannot be apart of public and government life and policy. It is relious and it is just plain decency, but none of this has a part in public debate and policy. If one looks to the current craze of The Hunger Game one can easily see that government intent on the removal of religious values could see murder as religious and, therefore, not the business of government to enforce a ban.

As the left continues its drive for a removal of religion from society and a ridicule of anything that hints of religious values, the end results must be assessed early. Can one go back? Can a value lost be retrieved? Ask anyone if we can go back to the 1950s and live like the media describe people lived and the answer is a no. No equivocation t all. One cannot go home again. Once lost these values are gone. Anything considered decent and reasonable that comes from religion is subject to ridicule and attack. We must ask the question now before the total underpinnings of society are taken from us by liberal purity.